A network run by an operator in a country is known as a public landline mobile network (PLMN). This network may be a Long Term Evolution (LTE), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), etc. A mobile communication device, or user equipment (UE), attempts to connect with the PLMN when the UE is switched on, and it searches for a suitable PLMN to connect to, i.e. camp on, in order to obtain network services.
Femtocells (small, low-powered cellular base stations) have seen a rise in usage in recent years in order to provide better cellular reception in areas with weak network coverage and to unburden main network cells (i.e. macro cells) by reducing the number of phones trying to connect to it. A femtocell with a limited set of users with connectivity access is known as a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell. When a femtocell is configured to operate as a CSG cell, only users included in the femtocell's access control list are allowed access to the PLMN via the femtocell. Alternatively, a femtocell in a hybrid-CSG mode may also be configured to provide access to all users, but preferential treatment to the users on its access control list.
The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specifications regarding CSG selection present problems when a communication device, either manually or autonomously, selects a CSG cell for connecting to a network. For instance, in manual CSG selection, the communication device may attempt to connect to a target CSG cell via a radio access technology (RAT) which is not supported by the target CSG cell. This may result in a prolonged connection time as the communication device attempts to connect to the target CSG cell in a user specified RAT preference order. Also, in autonomous CSG selection, a communication device will attempt to connect to a CSG cell which is in proximity of the communication device even if the signal strength of the CSG cell does not fulfill the cell selection criteria. As a result, the communication device expends time and resources (e.g. power) attempting to connect to a CSG cell which cannot support the connection, resulting in an inconvenience to the end user.